NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2011 -- Two shows will be held in honor of the late Kate McGarrigle at Town Hall on May 12and 13.  A tribute to the iconic and influential singer/songwriter, the shows, curated by Joe Boyd, will showcase performances by Kate’s children, Martha and Rufus Wainwright, Kate’s sister, Anna McGarrigle, Jimmy Fallon, Emmylou Harris, Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons), Krystle Warren, Teddy Thompson, Justin Bond, and more. In conjunction with the shows, Nonesuch Records will release a new edition of the first two Kate & Anna McGarrigle albums.

From the release of that eponymous album in 1976, Kate and Anna McGarrigle defined a sophisticated yet traditional branch of North American song. Their rich harmonies, rooted in the Irish and Quebecois music of their upbringing, drew listeners into a personal world of songs about romance, heartbreak, chemistry, solitude, ageing and adventure. This concert will reveal an artist who possessed an extraordinary gift for the craft of composition, showcased in such songs as Go Leave, (Talk to Me of) Mendocino, Kiss and Say Goodbye, and Tell My Sister, to name a few.

Kate McGarrigle was diagnosed in 2006 with a rare form of cancer known as Sarcoma, which affects connective tissue such as bone, muscle, nerves and cartilage. She lost her battle in January of 2010, age 63, surrounded by a singing group of family and friends at her home in Montreal. All profits from these shows will go toward the creation of the Kate McGarrigle Sarcoma Research Fund in association with the Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA).

The performers will be accompanied by a band very familiar with Kate’s catalog, including Thomas Bartlett on piano, Jane McGarrigle on piano, Calum MacColl on guitar, Anna McGarrigle on piano and accordion, Brad Albetta on bass, Bryan Devendorf on drums, Michel Pepin on guitar, Chaim Tannenbaum on mandolin and banjo and Joel Zifkin on violin (the last three regular members of Kate & Anna’s touring group). 

Last June the first Kate McGarrigle celebration was staged at the Royal Festival Hall in London and sold out within hours (see fan footage below) . Six national British publications reviewed the show with all awarding it an unprecedented 5 stars. The evening was perhaps best summed up by one journalist calling it “…a heartfelt and fitting tribute to a remarkable woman.”

Tickets go on sale Monday, February 7 at noon by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Box Office sales begin on April 21 at the Town Hall box office; $40.00 - $75.00

This concert is presented by Absolutely Live Entertainment in association with Joe Boyd and Catherine Steinmann.

For more information visit http://www.absolutelylive.net

Thursday and Friday, May 12 and 13

8:00 pm

TOWN HALL

123 West 43rd Street

New York, NY